RR Zero Sum Favor? By David Harwood

Shabbat Shalom,

Most likely every adult human has had the common cold. Trying to breathe through a stuffed nose can be a trial. Nasal congestion is a nuisance. Why? Is there a problem with the air-supply? No, there is nothing wrong with the amount of available air. There is more than enough air surrounding our planet to keep every breathing creature alive. The difficulty someone may have with breathing is the obstruction caused by the sickness. That’s the way it is with our experience of our Father’s favor. There is more than enough favor to go around. However, there can be obstacles to experiencing this charis/grace.

I have loved this verse.

Both riches and honor come from You. You rule over everything. In Your hand is power and might, in Your hand, to magnify and give strength to all. (1 Chronicles 29:12)

He can magnify and give strength to everybody. He can cause everybody to know His favor.

The degree of charis/favor available is unlimited. God’s favor is not some sort of zero-sum game. If one person receives favor, it does not follow that someone else’s supply of favor is diminished. There is an ample supply of charis/grace. Favor multiplies. It’s been said that it is easy to count the number of seeds in an apple, but impossible to count the potential number of apple trees in an apple seed. Charis/favor/grace is like that seed.

When it comes to saving-favor there is an unlimited overflow of eternal life. Yet, rejection of the Good News hinders the reception of that reality. In our everyday lives there may seem to be limited access to God’s active favor. Let’s look at a hindrance to the experience of the favor/grace our Creator wants us to have.

Some attitudes and actions diminish our experience of Father’s favor. For instance, Yeshua told us to forgive those who have offended us and He told us of the consequence of holding on to bitterness.

For if you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions. (Matthew 6:14–15)

There is a continuum of unforgiveness. Unforgiveness allowed to fester can manifest itself in apathy, or resentment, and even morph into bitter hatred.

To maintain and increase the redemptive flow of God’s favor it is important to grant others a clean slate. It is important to forgive ourselves, as well. We have the opportunity, through the Ruach ha-Kodesh, to grow in love for others. As we do, we favor them, and the grace we give to others is like a seed that produces a harvest of favor.

Please pause and realize that the necessity of forgiving others can feed into an unhealthy, exaggerated, self-weaponized introspective agreement with the accuser of the brethren. Consider this harsh reality: satanic beings don’t just accuse people in general. You are a specific target of demonic denunciations and slander. The enemy wants to choke your expectation of God’s favor.

Satanic accusations can be overcome in the same way the devil, himself, will be overcome.

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even in the face of death. (Revelation 12:11)

Allow me to stress this: We are not forgiven by the rigorous confession of every sin, known or unknown. We are not eternally justified with God by forgiving others. After all, those of us who faithfully practice forgiving those who have offended us can be fine one day and then find resentment rising up at another time. Are we eternally saved one day through our forgiving others and then eternally condemned the next? If our ability to consistently, thoroughly, forgive others is the ground of our assurance of salvation we are leaning on a false confidence.

Behold, you rely on this splintered reed as a staff—Egypt! If a man leans on it, it will go into the palm of his hand and pierce it—thus Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who trust in him. (2 Kings 18:21)

In the same way our experience of forgiveness can be hindered if we harbor bitterness, so also can our experience of favor.

We are justified by  saving-favor through our trust in the Good News. We are sanctified through the activity of God’s favor, as well. Although we  were His enemies, His favor is available to us. The God who knows us, loves us, and is favorable towards us. Let’s embrace His favor and be transformed. Let us receive Yeshua’s enabling favor to forgive and favor those who have sinned against us.

Now the God of shalom will soon crush satan under your feet. May the grace (charis/favor) of our Lord Yeshua be with you. (Romans 16:20)

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat15-Nov-202524th of Cheshvan, 5786 Parashat Chayei Sara
Ge 25:12-181 Ki 1:1-31Gal 4:21-31